McCain Calls Democracy In Middle East A “Virus”

“This virus is spreading throughout the Middle East. This is probably the most dangerous period of history…in the Middle East.” Speaking to FOX News, John McCain echoes the current sentiments of many politicians and pundits distressed by recent events in Egypt and Tunisia. Because the rules are, democracy only belongs in the countries where we choose to impose it. Via Think Progress:

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He is absolutely correct, that this is a dangerous time. Besides the negative way in which he uses the term virus, the assessment of the current situation as a virus is also apt. This was inevitable though, greater freedom of information and the ticking time bomb of demographics(rising youth) mixed in with decades of foreign intervention all the way up to full scale invasion and occupation make for a clusterfuck like we haven’t seen in modern times

MoralDrift

He is absolutely correct, that this is a dangerous time. Besides the negative way in which he uses the term virus, the assessment of the current situation as a virus is also apt. This was inevitable though, greater freedom of information and the ticking time bomb of demographics(rising youth) mixed in with decades of foreign intervention all the way up to full scale invasion and occupation make for a clusterfuck like we haven’t seen in modern times

Liam_McGonagle

Yeah–that’s probably while America will never be great again: We’re too fucking old to cust the muster.

it will be interesting to see what effect this will all have on the ancient egypt tourism industry,if hardline islamists ride the anti west tidal wave into power will we see actions like the taliban took against non islamic cultural works taken against pre islamic Egyptian culture and will anyone want to travel to egypt
if full blown sharia is instituted.

Hadrian999

it will be interesting to see what effect this will all have on the ancient egypt tourism industry,if hardline islamists ride the anti west tidal wave into power will we see actions like the taliban took against non islamic cultural works taken against pre islamic Egyptian culture and will anyone want to travel to egypt
if full blown sharia is instituted.

Liam_McGonagle

Interesting ideas.

May be a bit early to say, since all the coverage I’ve seen to date represents the movement as very de-centralized, and the strongest-by-default Muslim Brotherhood being much more secular than its name and press in the United States would suggest. Could take a hard fundamentalist turn under continued attack and the destruction of other parties with more credible programs, but the sense I get is that Egypt is a million miles away from Afghanistan, culturally.

I gather, from the few Egyptian’s I’ve had opportunity to meet personally, that Egypt has always had the reputation as the “Vegas” of the Islamic world, light hearted and maybe a bit decadant, in contrast to the Okie-like hardscrabble of Afghanistan.

I guess we’re reaping what our ancestors have sewn now. We never bothered to develop meaningful bonds of trust between countries and destroyed any meaningful bond of trust within that country on behalf of a loser dictator like Mubarak. All we can hope for now is that Egyptians are smarter, tougher and more generous than Americans would likely be in a similar situation.

WhiteRose

Will anyone want to travel anywhere at all? This is going to stir all the crazies up worldwide! Flying is already a nightmare….

E.B. Wolf

I doubt that’s going to happen. Afghanistan didn’t exactly have a booming tourist industry even before the Taliban took power, and the Egyptian military seems to have made protecting their museums a top priority.

Hadrian999

i don’t think it’s likely unless very hardline islamists come to power,which i think would be unlikely without the western powers supplying a drastic backlash.

Syber_punk

crazy old man should go and die already

Syber_punk

crazy old man should go and die already

Liam_McGonagle

Interesting ideas.

May be a bit early to say, since all the coverage I’ve seen to date represents the movement as very de-centralized, and the strongest-by-default Muslim Brotherhood being much more secular than its name and press in the United States would suggest. Could take a hard fundamentalist turn under continued attack and the destruction of other parties with more credible programs, but the sense I get is that Egypt is a million miles away from Afghanistan, culturally.

I gather, from the few Egyptian’s I’ve had opportunity to meet personally, that Egypt has always had the reputation as the “Vegas” of the Islamic world, light hearted and maybe a bit decadant, in contrast to the Okie-like hardscrabble of Afghanistan.

I guess we’re reaping what our ancestors have sewn now. We never bothered to develop meaningful bonds of trust between countries and destroyed any meaningful bond of trust within that country on behalf of a loser dictator like Mubarak. All we can hope for now is that Egyptians are smarter, tougher and more generous than Americans would likely be in a similar situation.

Liam_McGonagle

Yeah–that’s probably while America will never be great again: We’re too fucking old to cust the muster.

WhiteRose

After he picked Palin as his running mate….

WhiteRose

After he picked Palin as his running mate….

WhiteRose

Will anyone want to travel anywhere at all? This is going to stir all the crazies up worldwide! Flying is already a nightmare….

Anonymous

Do not Americans find it embarrassing when one of their politicians speaks as a sock puppet for the Mossad. I mean really, countries surrounding Israel are not entitled to democracy if their populations do not support religious apartheid.
There are a large number of European countries that also do not support religious apartheid, are their democratic populations also a virus.
Someone needs to remind the old fool that he is an American politician and not an Israeli politician regardless of how much campaign funding he gets from Israeli intelligence services.

rtb61

Do not Americans find it embarrassing when one of their politicians speaks as a sock puppet for the Mossad. I mean really, countries surrounding Israel are not entitled to democracy if their populations do not support religious apartheid.
There are a large number of European countries that also do not support religious apartheid, are their democratic populations also a virus.
Someone needs to remind the old fool that he is an American politician and not an Israeli politician regardless of how much campaign funding he gets from Israeli intelligence services.

5by5

More than embarrassing, it’s downright annoying.

grenichgrendel

a good segment of Americans find our politicians embarrassing period

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OMZGKPP6UCS6DHFAI23KPAYR5E Robyn Sheppard

Actually, in point of fact, most Americans find it embarrassing whenever ANY of our politicians speak about anything at all. Besides, John McCain will be remembered by history the same way Ronald Reagan was: as someone who was showing clear signs of Alzheimer’s Disease while still serving in office.

Will

The Egyptians want demoracy, I
would like to see it take root here in the US. Rock the Casba!

Will

The Egyptians want demoracy, I
would like to see it take root here in the US. Rock the Casba!

E.B. Wolf

I doubt that’s going to happen. Afghanistan didn’t exactly have a booming tourist industry even before the Taliban took power, and the Egyptian military seems to have made protecting their museums a top priority.

5by5

Just so I have this straight….

When a Republican like George Bush is pushing for democracy in the Middle East as a cover for his inability to find made-up weapons of mass destruction, which themselves were a failed excuse for going to war for oil profits… that’s “OK”. Indeed so “OK” that if anyone dares question it, they’re an “America-hater”.

But when a Democrat backs a true grassroots resistance movement in which average people across the entire spectrum of Egyptian society (educated, uneducated, Coptic Christian, Muslim, etc.) has risen up against a tyrannical leader who’s been torturing his people and silencing them for 30 years while hoarding all of the country’s wealth among the elites, that’s a “virus”.

Gotcha.

McCain is such an irrelevant douche….

5by5

Just so I have this straight….

When a Republican like George Bush is pushing for democracy in the Middle East as a cover for his inability to find made-up weapons of mass destruction, which themselves were a failed excuse for going to war for oil profits… that’s “OK”. Indeed so “OK” that if anyone dares question it, they’re an “America-hater”.

But when a Democrat backs a true grassroots resistance movement in which average people across the entire spectrum of Egyptian society (educated, uneducated, Coptic Christian, Muslim, etc.) has risen up against a tyrannical leader who’s been torturing his people and silencing them for 30 years while hoarding all of the country’s wealth among the elites, that’s a “virus”.

Gotcha.

McCain is such an irrelevant douche….

http://drwho.virtadpt.net/ The Doctor

He’s not irrelevant yet – people still take him seriously. Regardless, he’s still a douche. He’s just making it more obvious.

$927230

Republicans and Democrats are on the same team. But yes, they are both in the douche league.

5by5

More than embarrassing, it’s downright annoying.

Hadrian999

i don’t think it’s likely unless very hardline islamists come to power,which i think would be unlikely without the western powers supplying a drastic backlash.

Anonymous

a good segment of Americans find our politicians embarrassing period

Jo

It is sad how reactionary US politicians are…One really wonders, are they wilfully ignorant, or incidentally? Perhaps this is what happens when a country spends their whole budget on war and ignores education. I would feel sorry for them, but they’re a superpower, so we have to hold them to a higher standard if they have decided to become the world police. Something the US has apparently been fighting for ten years is happening without their intervention elsewhere…and somehow this is bad? Go figure people of the world…

Jo

It is sad how reactionary US politicians are…One really wonders, are they wilfully ignorant, or incidentally? Perhaps this is what happens when a country spends their whole budget on war and ignores education. I would feel sorry for them, but they’re a superpower, so we have to hold them to a higher standard if they have decided to become the world police. Something the US has apparently been fighting for ten years is happening without their intervention elsewhere…and somehow this is bad? Go figure people of the world…

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OMZGKPP6UCS6DHFAI23KPAYR5E Robyn Sheppard

Actually, in point of fact, most Americans find it embarrassing whenever ANY of our politicians speak about anything at all. Besides, John McCain will be remembered by history the same way Ronald Reagan was: as someone who was showing clear signs of Alzheimer’s Disease while still serving in office.

Anonymous

He’s not irrelevant yet – people still take him seriously. Regardless, he’s still a douche. He’s just making it more obvious.

Anonymous

Republicans and Democrats are on the same team. But yes, they are both in the douche league.